John Tusa is to become chairman of the University of the Arts London when he steps down as managing director of London's Barbican Centre in the autumn, reports The Guardian.

It was announced in February that Tusa is retiring in August after 12 years as managing director of the Barbican. He will be succeeded by Nicholas Kenyon, currently controller of the BBC Proms and of Live Events and TV Classical Music at the BBC.

Tusa will succeed Will Wyatt as chairman of governors at the University of the Arts, which was formed in 2004 from six arts colleges — Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Art. It has nearly 19,000 students and a turnover last year of Ô£143 million, according to The Guardian.

The paper quoted Tusa as saying that the university is a "wonderful, varied, diverse, energetic and creative organization with ambitious plans for the future."

The university's rector, Michael Bichard, said, "Sir John comes with a track record of success in the arts and communication, two areas that are at the heart of everything we do at the university."